Third, being swift to listen & slow to speak, we also find our anger is tempered

APP: ANGRY WORDS AND ACTIONS CANNOT ACCOMPLISH THE WORK OF GOD IN OUR LIVES.

II RECEPTIVE (21) First there has to be spiritual & moral housekeeping. Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

Now put away the things of this world and receive the engrafted Word. We need to put away the traits of the world such as pride, vanity, anger, jealousy, malice, slander, etc.

“Implanted” “to fix or set securely or deeply”

When something is implanted, it becomes one with the host and functions as such God’s Word is implanted in us so we function as God’s His Word directs

APP: When we allow God to sweep out the garbage in our lives, He sends His Spirit to dwell richly in us.His Spirit directs, strengthens, and convicts us

He saves our bodies from evil and souls from Hell

III RESPONSIVE (22-27)

Be doers and not just hearers... We must receive God's word as doers, not merely hearers. To take comfort in the fact you have heard God's word when you haven't done it is to deceive yourself.

That’s as if a starving man sees a table filled with food and doesn’t eat.

Simply seeing doesn’t satisfy

Seeing without observing James compares someone who listens without doing to a person who sees his image in a mirror, but fails to correct any flaws in his appearance. He sees, but does not truly observe. If he observed, he change.

Disciple Responds It was common in the ancient world for people to hear a teacher. If you followed the teacher and tried to live what he said, you were called a disciple of that teacher. We may say that Jesus is looking for disciples: doers, not mere hearers. A doer puts into action what he learns...

As Jesus Said… Jesus said the one who heard the word without doing it was like a man who built his house on the sand, but the one who heard God's word and did it was like a man whose house was built on a rock. The one who both heard and did God's word could withstand the storms of life and the judgment of eternity

(Matthew 7:24-27).

i. He who looks into the perfect law of liberty: In the ancient Greek language, the word for looks into spoke of a penetrating examination, so that a person would even bend over to get a better look. Look thoroughly to live our liberty!

Religious: The New Testament never uses this ancient Greek word for "religious" in a positive sense James used it here of someone who is religious, but is not really right with God, and this is evident because he does not bridle his tongue.

Your walk with God is useless if it does not translate into action for God.

In God's sight a pure, unsoiled religion expresses itself in acts of love and sincerity. Religion without Godly RESPONSE is useless.

Pure and undefiled religion before God: Doing good deeds for all the wrong reasons. It looks good in the sight of man, but it is not pure and undefiled religion before God.

A real walk with God shows itself in simple, practical ways. It helps the needy and keeps itself unstained by the world's corruption.

Sanctification without service useless.

APP: ALTHOUGH THE SERMON WILL SOON BE SPOKEN, IT IS NOT FINISHED UNTIL WE PUT IT INTO PRACTICE IN OUR LIVES.